B-Group Lesson Part 15 of 17
Young teenagers sometimes think Scripture only focuses on “perfect” people who never struggled, never panicked, or never messed up—but that just isn’t true. The Bible is filled with stories of ordinary, imperfect people, including the four people we’ll examine in this week’s lesson: Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Joseph.
Primary Scripture: Genesis 26:1-11, 23-25
Secondary Scriptures: Genesis 27:1-17; 37:2-28
Look at what God said to Isaac in verses 1-5—what stands out most, and why?
In verse 7, Isaac expressed fear even after the promise God had just made to him—when have fears caused you to make a risky or unwise choice?
Isaac chose to lie because he was afraid—what are some reasons you might lie?
In verses 23-25, God told Isaac to not be afraid—when has Jesus helped you handle a big fear?
Sometimes we do some not-so-smart stuff even when we know we shouldn’t. In Isaac’s case, he lied because he was afraid, even though he didn’t need to be afraid! Here’s the good news: God didn’t give up on Isaac—God still kept the covenant that he had made with Abraham. And even when we lie or make bad choices, God doesn’t give up on us either. God gives us the chance to make things right and get back on track as we follow Jesus.
Read Genesis 27:1-17 together. Consider dividing verses among your students so several people have a chance to read.
Let me recap what we just read, to make sure you understand everything that happened. Rebekah was Isaac’s wife, and Jacob was one of their twin sons—Esau was the other twin and was actually born first. Basically, Rebekah convinced her younger son to deceive his blind, dying father into giving him the blessing that went to the firstborn son. The rest of Genesis 27 tells us how Jacob followed through on the plan to deceive his dad, how Isaac was suspicious but fell for the deception, and how Esau got angry enough that he wanted to kill his brother.
Here are some other important details to know: A couple of chapters earlier, while Rebekah was still pregnant, God had told her that the older son would serve the younger son—it’s possible this is why she worked so hard to help Jacob get his dad’s blessing. And in that same chapter, Esau arrived home “exhausted and hungry,” and Jacob manipulated his older brother into selling his rights as the firstborn son—for the simple price of a bowl of stew. So clearly, this family had issues!
What amazes you most about Rebekah and Jacob’s decisions?
No one has a perfect family, but this family seems more dysfunctional than most! But God didn’t give up on them. Why is that good news for you and your family?
Esau became angry with his brother—how do you handle times when you’re angry with someone in your family?
Don’t share any names, but how have you seen manipulation damage families or friendships?
Despite all the manipulation in this family, God kept his covenant—and the covenant continued through Jacob instead of Esau, the older brother. God later changed Jacob’s name to Israel, and he became the father of the 12 tribes of Israel. And one of his sons was a guy named Joseph.
Read Genesis 37:2-28 together. Consider dividing verses among your students so several people have a chance to read.
Joseph’s brothers weren’t just jealous of his beautiful robe—they were jealous that their dad clearly favored Joseph. How do you deal with jealous feelings toward another person?
Joseph told his family about two crazy dreams. Based on his family members’ reactions, was he wrong to tell them about his dreams? Why or why not?
At first, Joseph’s brothers were going to kill him, but then they changed their minds and sold him as a slave. How do jealousy and hatred drive us to do destructive, cruel things?
What does verse 11 reveal about parents and their ability to look beyond our flaws and failures?
Joseph may have talked too much when he was young. And his dad’s obvious favoritism created all kinds of problems that Joseph didn’t seem to handle well. But guess what? God had an incredible plan for Joseph’s life. While in slavery, Joseph worked hard and earned people’s respect. Eventually he became the second-in-command in Egypt, working closely with the king. Joseph helped Egypt prepare for a famine, and he was able to save his own family from that famine. Pretty good for a big-mouthed dreamer!
TAKE ACTION: Memorize this Scripture this week! “Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you. I will multiply your descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will do this because of my promise to Abraham, my servant” (Genesis 26:24).
**Leaders, leave 3-5 minutes for prayer at the end of your group time.